Endless conveyer



Aug. 30, 1932.

W. A. SPRIGGS ENDLESS CONVEYER ZSheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 7, 1929 Aug. 30, 1932. w 5p 5 1,875,183

ENDLESS CONVEYER Filed Nov. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 WALTER ALFRED srmees, or SOUTHSEA, ENGLAND nlvntnss ooivvux'na Application file d November, 1929, Serial No. 1,05,431, and in Great Britain November 21, 1928.

controlled'or governed, e. g. maintained sub-.

, stantially constant throughout the whole of thejtravel of said element.

To this end and in accordance with the presentinvention each elementoif an apparatus of the kind referred to ispivotally attached to, or connected with, two guide members about two parallel axes, respectively, and said guide members are constrained to travel in continuous paths, respectively extending side by sidearound the continuous circuit to be traversed by the elemerits in succession in such manner that throughout the whole of said circuit the/distances separating corresponding points in saidpaths that is to say points therein which correspond with the two guide members respectively of an element) are substantially constant in a direction parallel with; and substantially constant also inv substantially the same or 'diiferent directions at right 7 angles to, the p'ivotalaxs of elements at coriresponding parts of the continuous circuit, motion being imparted to the elements by means of one or'more endless cables or chains to which they are connected at intervals,

The angularrelationship of the elements with regard to a given plane as mentioned above may be maintained'substantially constant'throughout the continuous circuit by so arranging the continuous paths of the V guide members" that corresponding points 45 therein are separated throughout the whole of said circuit by substantially constant distances all in substantially the same direction at'right'angles to the pivotal axes of elements at corresponding parts of the continuous 5 circuit:

The guide members of the elements may be constituted by wheels or slide blocks adapted to travel in guides conforming with the continuous paths of said guide members, or by attachments to an endless cable or by hollow bushings of an endless chain. In all cases it is desirable that substantially the whole or the greater part or the weight of each element and substantially the whole or the greater part of any load thereon should be taken or supported at the pivotal axis about which one of the guide members is attached to or connected with said element, and, that motion should be imparted to each element by a force acting at or near and substantially at right angles to, said pivotal axis.

The accompanying diagrammatic drawings illustrate apparatus according to one form of the invention; Figure 1 showing to a small scale and in side elevation the manner in which main and control chains are disposed around their sprocket wheels, Figure 2 being fragmentary View to the same scale showing the manner in which the elements are mounted between two main chains, Fig ure 3 being a fragmentary View showing to a larger scale the construction of a main chain and an associated control chain, Fig ures 4: and 5 showing to the same scale, in side elevation and in cross-sectional elevation respectively means for adjusting the effective length or pitch of a chain when wear has taken place, whilst Figures 6, 7 and 8 are detail views showing to a reduced scale the construction of a sprocket wheel for a chain such as those shown in Figure 3.

For the sake of simplicity there is illustrated an apparatus of which the elements are adapted to traverse a triangular continuous circuit. Two endless main roller chains indicated at M are disposed each around three sprocket wheels 11, 12 and 13 (see Figure 1) rotatable about axes 14, 15 and 16, respectively, extending at right angles to the general plane, and at the corners, of the triangular circuit. All the bushings of the main chains M are hollow as shown at 17 17 and said chains M which are exactly alike, are interconnected at each link by spini dles 18, 1'8 which are journaled at their, ends in opposite bushings 17 of the chains M, andifast upon each spindle 18is mounted an element IQ-of the apparatus. Motionis imparted to "the main chains'M and thus to the elements :19 through the sprocket 'wheels 11, 12 and/or 13. c It will thus b'e'observed that in this manner adriving force is applied to each element 19 at-the axis where the weight thereof is supported, namely at the corresponding spindle 18 In order that the elements 19 ;may be maintained in a horizontal position-throughout their travel around the continuous circuit a third or control'endless IOllQfCllfllIi C is disposed parallel with one of themain chains M' at that side thereof remote from the other main chain lil iandaround three sprocket wheels 20,; 21' and'122', which are rotatable, about aXes 23,24 and 25 respe'activel; extend-p ing parallel with those of the corresponding 7 sprocket wheels 11, 121 and 13 of the main chains M and spaced therefrom by a predetermineddistance D,-in: the case illustrated, in a J horizontal direction. The spindles 18 upon whichthe elements 19,

' extend through andbeyond' the correspondingbushingslf ofthatmainchain M which'is adjacent to the control chain G and the proj ectingportion of; each of saidspindles 18 ;is bent to form or has attached thereto a crank 26 equalin radial length to the distance. D separatingthe axes'li and 23, and 24;,

and 16 and 25 0f corresponding sprocket wheels 11 and 20, 12. and 21,;and 13 and 22; the terminal portion of each crank 26-eXtending at right angles thereto parallel with the 1 corresponding spindle 18' and being journalled V in a hollow bushing 2'? of the control chainC as'shown at28, a c It will thus be observed that each element 19' is connected pivotally with two guide members (chain bushings}? and 27 'aboutltwo parallel ajXes (those of the corresponding spindle 18 and terminal portion 28 of the cor responding crank '26). respectively andthat,

, in view of the relative positions of the main and control-chainsz-M and C; said members are constrained to move 1n paths, correspond-' lng points inwhich are separated throughout the circuit" by predetermined distances (D) r all in substantially theisame direction .(horizontalyatlright angles to said axesr I 1 It -,will also be apparent that'three ropes of cables could be employed inplace of the fchains as abovedescribed;

The vchains ;or cables may with rollers "which run on :I'fil'lSQOI the like tosup'port the chains or cables between the sprocket or equivalent wheelsthereof. I

"As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the main and controlichains M and G are provided at each bushing-l'lfand 27 with rollers 29 and 30.

Inpractice, however, and as shown in Fig- 11m n or eret pro elme n or 9 4 are mounted" be provided pensating for wear in the chains, alternate bushings only of each chain are provided with V rollers indicated-at 3l main chain and at32 an associated control chain C. In this arportion 28 of each crank 26 at opposite sides .of the control chainlQfjijEach crank26-con-- sists of a link which is fast at one end upon spindle 18; and theterminal portion 28, of

each crank "26 is constitutedby a headed pin *theprojecting portion of the corresponding fast in theother end otthe crank 26. i.

Each of the c ains'showa in Fi'gure 3 runs on sprocket wheels such as that villustrated y Figure ,1 a 's o .d aw n s; Sus

a sprocket wheel comprises acentral hub por:

tion 35 ,(Figiire 8) 1 formed with-a flange and upon which are assembledQcentral;

sprocket 37 (Figure 7 )'and two outer sprockgj etsf38 (Figure 6c) a; distancepiece 39 being,

disposed between one outer spro cket 38 and ,-9.0f

the adjacentlface ofthe innersprocketf37Q i The three 7 sprockets are secured in position;

ings 17 .I.fand centre rollers 31 L .1 of

the chain and the, outer sprockets 38 the outerirollersf33l'}. thereof The man ion adjustingthe effective nil-gs},- c

or pitchof a chainlaswear t kes, place are} illustrated in thejcase of a main chain'M hy Figures iand 5 ofthe drawings fAsishofwlil" the outer rollers 33,3 3 c of, the chain upon two fixed supportrails 11,141 which extend side byside in spaced relationship on the lhnb c35hy means-"of rivets or bolts; 1; indicated at l 40 th Centre s r cket vbeing adaptedf tof'm esh "with' .the hush-ii between successive sprockets of thechainiim-fcr mediately below thelatter. i These fiz'ie'd-snp-g port rails 41,41 are carried by chan'nel-seetion girders 42 i2whichextend beneath;

rails in correspondingly spaced relationship and are;c connected at intervals throughqut: their lengthby stirrup members ofwhichone only is shown in the drawingsat 44 and which I embracethe lower flange of 7 id gi 4C2,

42 as clearlyshown in 1 Figure 5,. Each stir-T rup member 14: carries an internally threade ed" bushing 45' through 1 which "extends up: wardly' an adjusting screw 46 'to's upport at its upper end asthma block 47, an invert ed U -shaped"? g ui de member 18' of which I the links extend downwardly through slots in thestirrup membera i andwhich supports an adjustable support rail 49 extending parallel with and intermediately oflthe fixedsup: un the centre j portrails 11,141 and up on vwh'ich rollers 31,31 .flggof the chaingfi The correct pitchof thechain is indibated by the reference. letter l? in Figure 4 and when the.-,.chain is new successive bushing 1 centres will be atthis distance apart i. e. those carrying the centre rollers 31 are raised also until said inter-bushing centre distance, measured in the direction of motion of the chain coincides with the correct pitch P thereof.

Apparatus in accordance with the present invention may be used for imparting motion to, or receiving motion from, a fluid, as an oil pump or as a water-motor for example: or again such apparatus may be employed very advantageously for the propulsion of water vessels in which latter case vertically disposed vane or paddle like elements may be caused to travel in a horizontal direction from end to end of a longitudinally extending well or space provided in the bottom of the vessel.

What I claim is 1. An endless conveyer including spaced chains mounted for travel in spaced parallel planes and including hollow bushings, spindles mounted in the opposed hollow bushings of the respective chains and traversing the space between the chains, elements secured on the spindles between the chains to thereby constitute with the spindles the sole load support and driver of the connected element, an additional chain offset vertically and horizontally from the plane of the first mentioned chains and including bushings, spindles in the bushings of the additional chain, the paths of travel of the respective chains maintaining all spindles constantly parallel, rigid connections between the spindles of the first mentioned chains and the spindles of the additional chain, the relation of the chains insuring that the elements remain constantly in the same angular positionthroughout the travel of the chains, the first mentioned chains including rollers concentric to the spindles, rollers intermediate the spindles, a trackway for the first mentioned rollers, an independent trackway for the intermediate rollers, and means for relatively adjusting the latter trackway.

2. An endless conveyer including spaced chains mounted for travel in spaced parallel planes and including hollow bushings, spindles mounted in the opposed hollow bushings of the respective chains and traversing the space between the chains, elements secured on the spindles between the chains to thereby constitute with the spindles the sole load support and driver of the connected elements, an additional chain offset vertically and horizontally from the plane of the first mentioned chains and including bushings, spindles in the bushings of the additional chain, the paths of travel of the respective chains maintaining all spindles constantly parallel, rigid connections between the spindles of the first mentioned chains and the spindles of the additional chain, the relation of the chains insuring that the elements remain constantly in the same angular position throughout the travel of the chains, said first mentioned chains including spaced rollers concentric with the spindles, intermediate rollers, fixed support rails for the concentric rollers, and an adjustable rail for the intermediate rollers whereby through the adjustment of the intermediate rollers corresponding parts of the chain are moved out of the line of travel to shorten the effective length of the chain and maintain its pitch constant irrespective of wear or stretch.

W. A. SPRIGGS. 

